Manifolding attachment for type-writers.



A, C. V. MALM.

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT. FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1915.

Patented Apr. 11, l916.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. c. v. MAI-.M.

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS. APPLICATION FILED APR.9. I915.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'LLllUlHlM v 3mm flxeb 0. 147112215712 Moms,

A. C. V. MAL M.

MANIFOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION man APR. 9. 1915,

1,178,660. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

T 3 SHEETSSHEET 3- 11g:

- vm-va UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- AXEL c. v. menu, or DAYT N, OHIO,'AssIeNoR. To THE EGRY nnersrnr. COMPANY, or DAY oN, 01310, ACORPORATION or OHIO.

MANIFOIQDING ATTAl'JI-IMENT FOR TYPE-WRITERS.

' citizen. of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county ofMontgomery and State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and usefulImprovements in Manifolding Attachments for Type-lVriters, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had therein drawing.

This invention relates to manifolding attachments for typewriters, andmore particularly to the means for supplying paper to such attachments.In attachments of this character the paper is supplied from rolls, thenumber of the rolls corresponding to the number of copies it is desiredto make. These rolls are supported on a frame in the rear'of thetypewriter and the webs of paper are drawn from the rolls and passedabout the platen in engagement with the paperfe'eding devices of thetypewriter, so that the webs of paper will be fed forward by the actionof the line-spacing devices in the same manner that a sheet of paper isfedv in the ordinary operation of the typewriter.

The rolls may be very lightly mounted sothat they will turn freely intheir bearings, but, inasmuch as they come to astop after each feedingoperation, the inertia of the rolls, which is considerable, must beovercomeby the paper-feeding devices, and this frequently causes thepaper to slip or to feed forward unevenly, thus rendering the spacinguneven and'throwing the several -webs out of alinement.

In some instances the frame which carries the paper rolls is in the formof a carriage and is caused to move with the typewriter carriage inorder to keep the rolls in alinement with that carriage. In other casesit is desirable that the frame carrying the paperrolls should be fixedagainst movement.

fixed support is utilized the frame must be spaced far enough away fromthe typewriter to permit the paper carriage to move relatively to thepaper rolls without tearing the paper. This is difficult to accomplishwithout putting the typewriter a considerable distance from the papersupply, and even then it is very diflicult to hold the superimposed websagainst lateral displacement relative one to the other, whichdisplacement results in throwing the webs out I Specification of LettersIatent.

to the accompanying the typewriter, so that these feeding deformerlaterally When such a Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed April 9, 1915. Serial no. 20,139.

of alinement,,and,- as these webs of paper frequently carry printedforms, it is essential that perfect alinement should be maintained.Further, when the supply rolls are placed farther away from thetypewriter carriage, the drag on the feeding mechanism is increased, andthe liability of slipping becomes greater.

The object of the present invention is to. provide means for overcomingboth of these difficulties, and, to this end, a further object of theinvention is to provide means for maintaining a loose supply of paper between the rolls and the feeding devices of vices will not have toovercome the inertia of the rolls, but will merely carry the weight ofthe slack .in the webs between the feeding devices and the paper rolls;and, fur-v ther, to provide means for preventing the relative lateraldisplacement of the super imposed webs as they are advanced by the 1feeding devices of the typewriter.

7 It is also an object of the invention-to provide such a mechanismwhich will be very simple in its construction and operation and whichwill be under the direct control of the ope ator; and also to providesuch a device which can be utilized with various kinds of supports for'the paper rolls, and with these supports arranged in various positions.

' Inthe accompanying drawings Figurel is a side elevation of atypewriter and paper roll support embodying my invention; Fig.

2 is a sectional detail view showing the actuating device for one of thepaper rolls; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the typewriter and fixedpaper support, showing the displaced relatively to the latter; Fig. 4 ISa perspective view of the paper guide; Fig. 5 1s a sectional detail viewof one of the paper rolls and its actuating devices; Fig. 6 is a sideelevation of the paper roll support, showing the same applied to theedge of a table; Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view of one of thepaper rolls; and Fig. -8 isa longitudinal sectional view of the core ofa paper roll, showing the supporting device therefor.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, andhave shown this embodiment in connection with two different paper rollsupports. It will will be fed through the typewriter.

be understood, however, that this particular embodiment of the inventionis chosen for the purpose of illustration only, and that theconstruction may be modified, and that the invention, either in the formhere illustrated or in a modified form, may be used with paper rollsupports of various kinds. In this particular embodiment of theinvention I have shown the same as applied to a typewriter 1, which maybe of any suitable character, and may be mounted on a desk or table 2 ofany suitable kind.- As is'common in. typewriters this typewriter isprovided with a platen 3 having means for operating the same consistingof knurled knobs indicated at 3'. Cooperating with this platen are thepaper feeding devices or rolls 4. By the arrangement above set forth,when the platen 3 is rotated by means of the knobs 3 the webs of paper 6located between the paper rolls 7 and the typewr itler e feeding of thewebs, it will be noticed, is entirely independent of the unwinding ofthe paper from the rolls 7 which is done by an entirely separate andindependent mechanism to be described hereinafter. The typewriter ishere shown as provided with supplementary ribbon guides .5 which supportthe ribbon in a plurality of folds, extending lengthwise of the platenand adapted to be interleaved between the webs of paper. Thisribbon-supporting device does not constitute a part of the presentinvention, but is fully shown, described and claimed in an applicationfor patent filed by Messrs. Malm and Rauh, Oct. 24th, 1914, Ser. No.868,372. A

plurality of webs of paper, of which there are, in the present instance,4, as shown at 6, are mounted in the form of rolls 7 upon a supportingframe 8 which is arranged in the rear of and spaced some distance awayfrom the typewriter. These webs of paper are, as has been stated,carried to the typewriter and arranged to be advanced by the paperfeeding devices thereof. In order that the several webs of paper may beheld in their proper relative positions, and may not be la erallydisplaced'by the movement of the typewriter carriage, I have providedthe latter with apaper guide 9. This guide comprises a bar 10 having atits ends attaching devices-,\ such as arms 11, b means of which it maybe rigidly secured'to the typewriter carriage'. In the presentinstanceit is secured to the opposite enrimmbers of the ribbon support. Thisbanis provided at its ends with recesses to "reeeivethe edges of severalWebs of paper. These recesses are here shown as formedby' inwardlyextending flanges 12 secured to the. plate near the ends thereof andspacedaway from the plate a distance sufiieient to receivethe severalweb relation. The space between the bases of per roll on the drum, and,in th s of paper in their superimposed 1,17e,eeo

ners or projecting edges to engage the edges of the paper.

In that. form of the devices shown in Figs.

1 and 3, the paper roll supporting frame 8 is adapted to be mounted on awall or other vertical support, as shown at 14, and comprises forwardlyextending frame members in which are journaled a plurality of shafts 15adapted to have mounted thereon'the hollow cores 16 onwhich the webs ofpaper are rolled.v Usually the shaft is provided with a drum 17 whichfits snugly within the core 16, but this, of course, depends upon thesize of the core which is to be used. Suitable means are provided forpreventing the rotation of the core and the pae present instance, thismeans comprises a fiat spring 18 rigidly secured to the drum andarranged in a recess 19 so that its lateral edges will roject slightlybeyond the cylindrical'surace of the drum and bite into theinteriorsurface ofthe core 16, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.v

As has been explained, the weight of the paper and the inertia of thepaper rolls impose a drag on the paper-feeding devices of thetypewriter, which is objectionable, and, to overcome this drag, I haveprovided means independent of the paper-feeding devices for withdrawingthe. paper from thepaper rolls and maintaining a slack portion in thewebs between the paperrolls and the typewriter feeding devices. Thismeans is preferably of such a character that it can be operated by thetypewriter operator to positively unwind webs of paper from the rolls.As here shown, one end of each shaft .15 is provided with a ratchetwheel 20 which is rigidly secured thereto and is adapted to be engagedby a' pawl 21 carried by. a slide bar 22. In the present form of thedevice the paper-supporting frame is so arranged as 'to support therolls with their axes in vertical alinement, and the single actuatingbar 22 carries the pawls 21 for actuating each of the ratchet wheels.pressed forward by springs. 23 and are so arranged that on the upwardmovement of the slide bar they will engage the ratchet wheels and movethe paper rolls in a direction to unwind the paper therefrom. On

The pawls 21 are the return movement of .the slide bar the" pawls willride over the ratchet teeth with-- I vancjed by the feeding devices,

out interfering with the rotation of the rolls, thus a quick movement ofthe slide bar will impart rotation to the rolls which will continue'sometime after the slide barand pawls have completed their movement, thuspermitting a very considerable amount of paper to be unwound by a singlemovement .of the slide bar. The slide bar may be actuated in anysuitable manner, but, as has been stated, its operation is preferablyunder the control of the operator, and to this end I have connected thelower end of the slide bar, by means of a link 24, with one end of alever 25, which is pivotally mounted between its ends on a bracket 26securedto the floor beneath the typewriter desk, and is further providedat that end opposite the end connected with the link 24 with, a treadleor footpiece 27. This arrangement is such that the operator may, atintervals during the operation of the typewriter, press the lever 25with his.

foot and cause a quantity of paper to be unwound from' the rolls. Anoccasional operation of the device will be sufficient to provide ampleslack in the web, and this slack enables the paper to be .easily adasthe operation of these devices is resisted only by the weight of. theslack in the paper.

,It is sometimes preferable to support the paper rolls in some. othermanner than on a wall or the like, and, in Fig. 6, I have shown aroll-supporting frame adapted to be clamped to the edge of a desk ortable. As-

there shown, this frame comprises vertical side members 28, similar ,tothe frame" 8,.

and is provided at its upper end with a clamp 29, by means of which itmay be fastened to the rear: edge of the typewriter desk and allowed todepend beneath the top of the desk. The manner of supporting the rollsand unwinding the paper therefrom 1s the same in this instance as inthat above described, but the webs of paper, which are shown at 30, arecarried beneath the' frame 28 ,and.,over 'a guide ba1; or roller 31,supported by the upper pohtion of the frame and arranged above theuppermost part thereof so that the paper may pass from this bar to thetypewriter without interference.

As'has been stated, the rolls will continue to move after'the pawls havereturned to their normal positions, and I prefer to provide some meansto cause the rolls to move substantially equal distances so thatapproximately the same amount of paper will be unwound from each roll. vThis may be accomplished in various ways, but, preferably, I establishconnections between the adjacent rolls, and, in the present-instance,

these connections comprise small belts 32 which may be formed of rubberbands or the like and which extend about the reduced portions of knobs33 which are secured to.

the outer ends of theshaftsadjacent to the ratchet wheels. have theirinner portions grooved, asshown at 34, to form guides for the belts.

The operation of the device will be readily understood fromthe foregoingdescription, and it will be apparent that I have provided means wherebywebs of paper may be fed from supply rolls by the ordinary paper-feedingdevices of the typewriter without imposing such a strain on thosedevices as to prevent the proper feeding of the paper, and, further,that the several webs of paper Wlll' be maintained in their'propersuperimposed'positions during the feedin and writing operations.

'While have shown and described one embodiment of. my invention, I Wishit to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the detailsshown and described, as various mod ifications will occur to a personskilled in the art. .5 Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters :Patent,-is v 1. Thecombination, with atypewriter having a paper feeding device, means foroperating the said feeding device, a support mounted in" fixed relationto said feeding dewice and independently thereof, and a roll" of papermounted. on said support and. having its web arranged to be advanced bysaid feeding device, of means operable independently of said' firstmeans and of the type writer for unwinding the web from said roll andmaintaining the portion of the 'web which is between the roll and thefeeding device in, a slack condition which will offerlittleresista'nceto'the operation of the feeding device. v V c, Q

2. The combination, with a typewriter having a paper feeding device,means for operating the said feeding device, a support mounted in fixedrelation to said feeding device and independently thereof, and aplurality of rolls of paper mounted on said support and having theirwebs arranged to be advanced by sald feeding device, of means operableindependently of said first means and of the typewriter forsimultaneously unwinding the webs from said rolls and main taining theportions of said webs which are between the rolls and the feeding devicein a slack condition which will offer little redevic'e.

3. The combination with a typewriterv having a paper-feeding devicemounted for longitudinal movement relatively. to 'said' typewriter,means for operating said feeding Preferably, these knobs sistance to the[operation of the feeding movement relatively to said typewriter, apaper support and a plurality of rolls of paper mounted on said supportand having their webs arranged in superimposed relation to besimultaneously advanced by said feeding device, of a guide connectedwith and movable in unison with said feeding device, said guidecomprising a flat plate having .U-shaped ends adapted .to engage theedges and tops of said superimposed webs to hold the same in properposition.v

5. The combination, with a typewriter, having a paper feeding devicecapable of movement relatively to said typewriter, a paper support and aplurality of rolls of paper mounted on said support and having theirwebs arranged in superimposed relation to be simultaneously advanced bysaid feeding device, of a flat guide bar connected with said feedingdevice for movement in unison therewith and having U-shaped endsarranged to engage the edges and top of said superimposed webs toproperly guide the same, the portions of said U-shaped ends inengagement with the edges of said webs being convexed longitudinally ofsaid edges.

6. The combination with a typewriter having a paper-feeding device and aplurality of rolls of paper mounted in fixed relation to saidtypewriter, of a ratchet wheel connected with each of said rolls ofpaper, an actuating bar, a plurality of pawls carried by said actuating.bar and arranged to engagethe respective ratchet wheels, and means underthe control of the operator for operating said actuating bar. v 7. Thecombination with a typewriter having a paper-feeding device and aplurality of rolls of paper mounted in fixed relation to saidtypewriter, of a ratchet wheel connected with each of said rolls ofpaper,

- an actuatin bar, a plurality of pawls carried by sai 4 actuating barand arranged to engage the respective ratchet wheels, a lever arrangedto be actuated by the operator and an operative connection between saidlever and said actuating bar.

8. The combination with a typewriter having a paper-feeding device and aplurality of rolls of paper mounted in fixed relation to saidtypewriter, of a ratchet wheel connected with each of said rolls ofpaper,

an actuating bar, a plurality of pawls carried by said actuating bar andarranged to.

1,17e,eco

engage the respective ratchet wheels, a lever pivotally mounted beneathsaid typewriter, having one end arranged to be actuated by the operatorand a connection between said lever and said actuating bar. 1

9. The combination with a ty ewl'iter having a paper-feeding device an aplurality of rolls of paper having their webs arranged in superimposedrelation to be simultaneously advanced by said feeding device, of anactuating bar movably mounted adjacent to said rolls of paper and meansfor establishing operative connections between said bar and therespective rolls to cause the latter to be rotated, a lever mountedadjacent to said typewriter and an operative connection between saidlever and said actuating bar.

10. The combination with a typewriter having a paper-feeding device, apaper-supporting frame having a plurality of rolls of paper mountedthereon, a bar slidably mounted (in said frame and-means actuated by themovement of said bar to impart rotatory movement to the several rolls ofpaper, and means under the control of the operator for actuating saidslide bar.

11. The combination with a typewriter having a paper-feeding device, apaper-supporting frame having a plurality of rolls of paper mountedthereon, a bar slidably having a paper feeding device, means foroperating said feeding device, and a plurality of rolls of paper mountedadjacent to said typewriter andvhaving their webs arranged insuperimposed relation to be simultaneously advanced by said feedingdevice, of means adjacent the typewriter and independent of the meansfor operating said feeding device, said means adjacent the type writerbeing connected directly to the rolls, and means for causing the severalrolls to be rotated substantially equal distances.

13. The. combination with a typewriter having a paper-feeding device anda plurality of rolls of paper mountedadjacent to said typewriter andhaving their webs arranged in superimposed relation to be simultaneouslyadvanced by said feeding device, of means underthe control of theoperator for imparting movement to said rolls of paper to unwind thewebs therefrom, and means, other than the means for imparting movementto said rolls, for connecting the several rolls one to the other tocause them to rotate in unison .and for substantially eqi al distanceg,

' ity of rolls for paper mounted in fixed relation to said typewriter,operating means.

mounted on each roll, and means cooperating with said operating means tosimultaneously feed the paper from said rolls.

16. The combination, with a typewriter having a paper feeding device, ofa plurality of rolls for paper mounted in fixed relation to saidtypewriter, operating means mounted upon each roll, means cooperatingwith said operating means to feed the paper from said rolls, and meansconnecting the several rolls together to cause them to rotate in unison.

' 17. The combination, with a typewriter having a paper feeding device,means for operating the same, and a roll of paper having its webarranged to be advanced by said feeding device, of an actuating deviceconnected to said roll and arranged to impart positive movement to saidroll of paper to unwind the same, and means for operating said actuatingdevice independently of said first-mentioned means. In testimonywhereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AXEL o. v. Witnesses:

, MILTON STAR,

J. B; CooLron.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner ot-I'atenta, Washington, D. G."

